All wheel drive Railway Loco!

[wristpin]

 

[Robotstar5]

Looks like a Shay loco, developed to negotiate tighter curves than conventional coupled locos.

 

[PaulC7]

Love the sounds.

What's the reason for all wheel drive... Engineering company trying to better than the competition or an actual need?

 

[Robotstar5]

Most loco's will have all or most wheels driven to give greater tractive effort

 

[RonA]

Love the sounds.

What's the reason for all wheel drive... Engineering company trying to better than the competition or an actual need?

My guess is that just like a 4x4 off roader you get better transmission of power to the rails. Probably useful if you have to deal with a lot of steep inclines/heavy loads. I have read elsewhere that the max incline a railway locomotive can handle is 1:50.

Fascinating concept but a nightmare I suspect from a maintenance point of view. I wonder if each wheel has a limited slip device?
RonA

 

[Robotstar5]

Fascinating concept but a nightmare I suspect from a maintenance point of view. I wonder if each wheel has a limited slip device?

The wheels just spin if it loses traction, but they do have a system that pipes sand onto the track to help stop it.

 

[RonA]

The wheels just spin if it loses traction, but they do have a system that pipes sand onto the track to help stop it.

The last suggestion was facetious not meant to be taken literally.
RonA

 

[garethp]

Looks like a Shay loco, developed to negotiate tighter curves than conventional coupled locos.

They were made for hauling timber along quickly / poorly laid tracks with tight curves and bumps, the bogies can move around a lot to cope with those hence the shaft drive and sliding universal joints. A normal loco with coupling rods would derail pretty quickly.

Making a model is on my never ending list of things to do, there is a really good write up at http://www.nelsonslocomotive.com/ in the 'shay project' section if anyone is interested. The Heisler is a V twin version :-)